


One Direction (to your heart)

by opalescent_cheetah



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, Fluff, Pining, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, With illustrations, and nicky is always right, in which crystal makes questionable life choices, jaida is a useless lesbian, kind of a slow burn?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:27:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25435390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opalescent_cheetah/pseuds/opalescent_cheetah
Summary: Jaida will share two tattoos with her soulmate: one will be her own first tattoo, whilst the other will be theirs. And if there’s anything Jaida knows about her soulmate, it’s that they love One Direction - why else would it be written out on her skin?What Jaida doesn’t expect, though, is that she’ll meet her soulmate during the final week of preparation for her first big fashion show, or that it’ll be the bubbly, blue-haired artist she’s working with.Maybe it’s time she learned to embrace the unexpected. And One Direction.
Relationships: Jackie Cox/Nicky Doll, Jaida Essence Hall/Crystal Methyd
Comments: 28
Kudos: 45





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Methessence stans rise UP! I wrote this for the Black Girl Magic fic challenge on artificialqueens, and I'm so excited to finally be able to share it with you all. Every chapter will have a unique illustration by yours truly, and I can't guarantee when I'll be able to update - only the first two chapters are completely finished - but I'm aiming for a fortnightly schedule. (It will probably be longer, but I'll do my best to be quick!)
> 
> Thank you so much to @dollalpaca, @Mistressaq, @Crazy4Kameron and @jackiescox for helping me with this fic! <3

“Hello?”

“Jaida! _Je l’ai trouvée!”_ Nicky gasps over the phone. She sounds breathless, but it isn’t from exhaustion - in fact, she’s so giddy with excitement that she seems to have momentarily forgotten how to speak English. “I found her!”

Jaida hesitates. “Who?”

“My soulmate, you dumbass,” Nicky says, and Jaida can hear the smile in her voice. “Her name’s Jackie, and she’s one of the performing arts students. God, I never thought I’d fall for a theatre kid, but she’s perfect.”

“Ah, love at first sight,” Jaida teases. “So beautiful.” 

“You’re one to talk!” Nicky retorts, amused. “I haven’t forgotten how you walked around the dorm all smitten for a week after meeting Jan, and you weren’t even soulmates!” 

“Don’t you be coming for me, child!” Jaida laughs. “You gonna catch me up on all the--”

“Shit, sorry, I have to go,” Nicky says, abruptly cutting her off. “Come to Jackie’s dorm tonight, we’re having a party. I’ll text you the details.” 

The line drops dead.

Jaida doesn’t hear from Nicky again until that evening, when she’s being pulled into an unfamiliar dorm, and she swears the flowers blooming on both of Nicky’s wrists are more vivid than before. Nicky has one arm around Jaida’s shoulders and the other hugging a stranger’s waist. Jaida doesn’t think she’s ever looked more alive. 

“This is Jackie,” Nicky says excitedly. “Jackie, this is Jaida, my roommate.”

She seems nice, Jaida thinks. Jackie has a gentle smile and brown eyes as warm as a mug of hot chocolate on Christmas morning. She is the hug of a summer breeze whilst Nicky is the sharp bite of winter winds, yet standing together, they couldn’t look more perfect for each other. Fate has chosen well. 

“Hello, Jaida,” Jackie greets her kindly, raising her arm in a small wave--

\--and there they are, Nicky’s cluster of purple asters, lively and bright on Jackie’s wrist. 

Jaida remembers the day Nicky chose the tattoo. She’d returned to their dorm with a tired, triumphant smile on her face, proudly extending her wrist for Jaida to see.

“I did it, Jaida,” she’d said, showing her the delicate flowers through layers of clear wrapping. 

And Jaida had stared at them, silently wondering at how ordinary they seemed despite the weighted meaning behind their lilac petals. This was Nicky’s first tattoo. Her soul tattoo. A mark that would also appear on her soulmate, that they would both wear for all their lives. 

Days later, the heliotropes appeared, flourishing to life on Nicky’s other wrist. Her soulmate had finally made their choice, too. 

Now Jaida sees two pairs of flowers, petals brushing together as Nicky and Jackie intertwine their hands. Four symbols of forever, a fated bond preserved in violet ink. 

“Hi,” she finally manages to say. “Nice to meet you.” 

It’s a stilted response, but it seems good enough for Nicky and Jackie, who drag her into the party with beaming smiles on their faces. 

Calling it a party seems generous. It’s just a handful of Nicky and Jackie’s friends, cramped into the tight space of the dorm, chatting and laughing. Jaida gratefully accepts a drink from Nicky and allows herself to be sucked into the crowd, easily falling into the rhythm of conversation. 

It’s nearing midnight when a hush falls over the circle. 

They’d been playing party games, yet suddenly the conversation peters out into whispers, countless pairs of eyes whirling towards Jaida. She shivers, uncharacteristically nervous under their scrutiny.

“Y’all, what is going on? Do I have something on my face?” 

“No,” Nicky replies, pointing to Jaida’s collarbone. “But there...”

Jaida follows her gaze and nearly drops her cup in her shock. With her free hand, she rubs at the spot just below her collarbone, pressing the pads of her fingers into the swooping curves and angles of foreign symbols. The dark lines move with her skin, one with her body, still crisp and perfect no matter how much Jaida rubs at them. 

There’s no denying it.

This is her soul tattoo.

For a moment she vacantly stares at it, unsure how she should feel. She isn’t elated; rather, she traces the mark in disbelief, unable to tear her eyes away. It doesn’t seem real - even after watching her friends choose their tattoos, even after celebrating with them when their soulmates’ choices appear on their skin, even after _tonight_ , Jaida can’t seem to fathom that she finally has a tattoo of her own. 

Her skin has been clear up until now. Jaida has never followed the whims of fate - she travels where love takes her, darting from fleeting bursts of attraction to deep emotional encounters.

She thinks of Jan, thinks about how neither of them were marked and the deep connection they formed regardless. Jaida doesn’t need a tattoo to know that Jan’s soft touch reached her soul, painting it with kisses and a love that stays even now, long after they’ve both moved on. 

She can’t help but feel as though a part of her freedom has been snatched by the dark lines on her shoulder. They seal her connection with someone else, painting their fated love for all the world to see.

“This is so crazy.” Nicky’s accented voice breaks through the frenzied haze of Jaida’s thoughts, and suddenly arms are snaking around her bare shoulders. “I find my soulmate, and you finally get a tattoo, all in one day! I’m so happy for you, Jaida!” She squeezes tight, and Jaida can’t help but wish she’d decided against wearing the sleeveless, strappy dress she’s in. Maybe then, this could be more personal, just her and Nicky celebrating in their dorm after the party. Instead, she’s surrounded by cheering. Someone makes a toast, and Jaida can only smile awkwardly. 

“Hey, I think that’s in Arabic,” Jackie says, as Nicky releases Jaida from her hug.

“You know Arabic?” Nicky asks, a small smile tugging at her lips. She looks impressed, Jaida thinks - deeply enamoured, even. It’s startling, how close they’ve become after only one day. 

“No, but I do know Farsi,” Jackie replies. “And they use the same alphabet.”

“So maybe you can translate this thing for me,” Jaida says, gesturing vaguely at her collarbone. “Because to me, it’s a whole lotta nonsense.” 

“I mean, sure,” Jackie laughs, pulling out her phone. “Give me a second.” 

Jaida watches as she types something, periodically glancing at the tattoo. The whole room seems to wait with bated breath. 

“‘One Direction,’” Jackie says, after a moment. “It says… ‘One Direction.’”

“You’re joking.” Jaida swallows as the circle of people bursts into laughter. She wants to laugh with them, but it sticks in her throat - their amusement is at her expense, and it strikes her like a blow to the chest. She’s always been independent, sure of herself, but this wasn’t her decision. And now, the words ‘One Direction’ are permanently marked on her skin for all the world to see. It’s laughable. 

At least the tattoo is in Arabic. She can pass it off as something artsy, something clever and sweet. 

“Your soulmate clearly has their priorities right,” Nicky giggles. 

“No lie, I was hoping for something more… romantic.” Jaida’s eyes dart to the flowers emblazoned on both Nicky and Jackie’s wrists. “But it is what it is.” 

“You’ve still got yours to choose,” Nicky reminds her. “So you can still get something romantic, if that’s what you want.”

“You should get a _dick!”_ Someone drunkenly shouts before the circle of people dissolves into laughter again, so loud Jaida can barely hear herself think. She stands abruptly, tugging at the strap of her dress, and excuses herself to the bathroom. 

“Jaida, wait.” 

She whirls around, about to shut the door, and meets Nicky’s concerned frown. 

“Hey,” Jaida says, suddenly exhausted. 

“Are you okay?”

“I…” Jaida falters, emotions burning at the back of her throat, incoherent words on the edge of her tongue. “I don’t know.”

And it’s true, she thinks, once the words have left her lips. This is supposed to be a monumental time in her life, something to be celebrated, but her mind is spinning in turmoil. She doesn’t know what to think - she expected to be celebrating Nicky and Jackie tonight, but of course her soulmate decided that this was the perfect time to get their tattoo. 

Nicky pushes past Jaida into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and leaning casually against the sink. There’s a moment of tentative silence, where neither dares to start a conversation. 

“Look,” Nicky finally says, and her accent is thicker now, just like it always is when she’s finding it hard to articulate. “I know it’s… I know it’s strange, getting your soul tattoo. But you look so upset.”

_Oh._

“No, girl, I’m fine.” Jaida is quick to assure her. “I just… need a minute to, like, process it, that’s all. And it’s a bit crazy out there.” 

“Yeah. Oh, and don’t listen to Rock - Jackie says she’s totally crazy. I swear, if you come home with a dick tattooed on your body, I will slap you.” 

“You better,” Jaida snickers. “Although I’m not sure what’s more preferable: a dick, or One Direction.” 

“You don’t hate it _that_ much, do you?” Nicky asks, frowning. 

“Of course not. I’m just kidding. If my soulmate got a dick for their soul tattoo I’d probably die.” 

“Good thing they didn’t, then.” Nicky’s frown is quickly replaced by her signature playful smirk. “You know, maybe your soulmate is telling you to go to more One Direction concerts. Maybe their dream is to be dramatically proposed to at the meet-and-greet.” 

“No ma’am, I’m not going to risk my life at one of those concerts. Not even for my soulmate. Those hordes of teenage girls would trample me.” 

“Maybe your soulmate is one of _them_ ,” Nicky offers teasingly. “You never know, Jaida!” 

“Child, if that’s the case, I’d rather stay single!”

Nicky feigns a gasp. “You’d be so quick to crush your poor soulmate’s dreams?”

Jaida laughs. “Don’t put it past me.” 

Nicky chuckles with her, and for a moment everything feels fine again. It’s just the two of them, away from the commotion, talking and laughing like they always do. Jaida wraps herself in that sense of normalcy, in the familiarity of Nicky’s company. 

Several minutes pass before there’s a knock on the door, startling them both into silence. 

“Everything okay in there?”

It’s Jackie, her concerned voice muffled by the wood of the door. Jaida can picture her wringing her hands on the other side, lively asters brushing gentle heliotropes. 

“We’re all good,” Nicky calls back, turning to offer Jaida a quizzical glance. Jaida nods - _I’m okay._

“I do actually need to pee,” she lies. “You go on ahead, hang out with Jackie. I’ll catch up.” 

Nicky wraps her in a hug before she disappears, the door clicking shut behind her. The sound seems to echo with finality in the empty space, the air heavier now that Jaida is alone. 

She exhales slowly, grateful for Nicky’s compassion but equally as grateful for this moment alone. She grounds herself with the cold touch of the marble counter on her palms and stares into the mirror, her eyes tracing the perfect lines of her tattoo. The strap of her dress carves a harsh chasm through the words, so Jaida moves it aside, revealing the entire tattoo in all its glory. 

Looking at it fills her with a strange sense of disbelief and something that might be disappointment. It doesn’t feel real, somehow. She touches the mark again with delicate fingertips, and it’s still there when she blinks. 

It isn’t even that it says ‘One Direction’. Jaida will get used to that. She stares at herself in the mirror, at the lines on her bare shoulder, and wonders at the universe. 

There’s someone out there waiting for her. Someone _made_ for her.

She’s known this all her life, but suddenly, with the words written out in a delicate scrawl across her skin, it feels like a hazy dream that’s come within reach. It feels real, tangible somehow, more than just words and promises and the matching pictures across other people’s skin. 

Now, Jaida is a part of it too, and it hollows her out with something akin to despair.


	2. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaida meets Crystal, and finally gets acquainted with One Direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song in this chapter is "Kiss You" by One Direction. I will admit that writing this fic has made me appreciate them a lot more than I used to lol
> 
> Thank you so much to @dollalpaca for betaing!

At first, all Jaida sees is blue.

Her gaze swims in bright necklaces and denim, in cobalt hair rippling with colour like the ocean on a summer’s day. And then she meets brown eyes as wild and untameable as the seaside cliffs, shimmering like they’ve been touched by the moon. Jaida feels her breath catch in her throat.

“I’m Crystal.” The stranger extends her hand for Jaida to shake, and the sapphire bracelets adorning her wrists glimmer in the white light of the lobby. “Crystal Methyd. I’m the assistant events coordinator - I was told we’d be working together?”

“You’d be right,” Jaida greets her with a warm smile as she shakes her hand. Crystal’s grip is soft but firm, matching the silent confidence in her umber eyes.

Today is the first of many days they’ll be working together, doing odd jobs to ensure this fashion show runs smoothly. It’s Jaida’s first show with the Del Rio brand — in fact, it’s her first big fashion show in general — and she wants nothing more than for it to go well. She started working with Bianca shortly after her graduation, when the brand was nothing more than a handful of people with sewing machines and a dream. Now, it’s expanded into so much more, and Jaida is desperate to prove that she’s really, truly meant to be here.

As she stands opposite Crystal’s sunny smile, Bianca’s words from earlier in the morning ring in her head: _“Here’s your schedule, Hall. You’re working with some girl who sounds like she might be a drug addict.”_

She hopes beyond hope that Bianca is wrong. Nothing is going to ruin this for her, least of all the crazy assistant of the events coordinator.

And upon first glance, Crystal is as wild as her name suggests, with her summer-sky hair and eclectic sense of style. But there is such excitement in her smile and her brilliant eyes that Jaida can’t help but be immediately endeared, the worry dissipating slightly in her chest.

“So,” Crystal says, drawing out the syllable as she bounces on the balls of her feet. “Hair and makeup artists, yeah? You ready to go?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Jaida tucks her clipboard into her purse, even though she’s perused her schedule enough times that she’s sure she’s memorised it by now, and follows Crystal to her car.

They listen to One Direction for the entire drive.

At first, Jaida doesn’t realise what she’s listening to - she’s only aware that it’s some generic pop song that she’s probably heard before and couldn’t be bothered remembering. Crystal hums along, slightly off-key and warbly, but Jaida doesn’t mind.

“You okay with this music?” Crystal asks, midway through the song, as though only just realising Jaida might not agree with her taste in music.

“Yeah, I’m chill.” Jaida doesn’t actually like it, but she isn’t about to start a debate about the validity of modern pop. Besides, Crystal seems happy - and equally at ease with their lack of small talk - and Jaida is content with that.

_“So tell me, girl, if everytime we to-o-ouch, you get this kinda ru-u-ush,”_ Crystal sings aloud while they’re waiting at a red light. “God, I love this song.”

“It’s not bad,” Jaida admits begrudgingly, stifling a smile when Crystal shoots her a look of abject horror.

_“‘Not bad?’_ This is _art!”_

“Naw, child, this ain’t it.”

Okay, so maybe she was wrong about starting a debate.

“No one knows how to appreciate One Direction anymore,” Crystal laments, as the lights change and she returns her focus to the road.

_One Direction._ Jaida's mind can’t help but wander in the direction of her mysterious soulmate. It’s been four years since the night her soul tattoo appeared, and there’s still no sign of them. It doesn’t worry her like it used to; she’s decided to let fate run its course, and in the meantime, she does what she pleases. Now, seeing the mark on her skin has become routine. She’s grown accustomed to its presence the same way she got used to seeing herself with earrings after she got her ears pierced.

Soon enough, they’re arriving at the hairstylist’s studio, its walls lined with wigs and photographs of models with perfect hair. Crystal is like a bird, bright and breezy, hopping through the room with an enthusiasm that seems to radiate from all of her features. For a moment, Jaida wonders whether or not her own posture is too stiff, too poised, and has to remind herself that she’s a professional, here on business. So is Crystal, but the word _professional_ seems to carry a different meaning for her.

And, as it turns out, any worries Jaida had about Crystal are unfounded. She is competent - incredibly so, in fact. The Crystal she sees in the stylist’s office is one who knows what she’s doing; who uses her wacky style and charm to her advantage, who gets her point across clearly and concisely. All Jaida needs to do is make sure Bianca’s vision is followed.

In a few hours, everything is sorted out, and the meeting is over faster than Jaida could have anticipated. The drive back passes in much the same fashion as the drive over: as soon as Crystal turns the key in the ignition, the same poppy, upbeat love songs begin pounding through the car. Crystal sings along shamelessly.

And again, all they seem to be listening to is One Direction.

“Do you listen to anything other than this stuff, child?”

“Well, yes,” Crystal says, “but I’m kind of obsessively listening to my One Direction playlist right now. I can change it, if you want.” She doesn’t sound offended, and Jaida likes that about her. She’s easy to get along with, and in the few short snippets of conversation they’ve had, Crystal has taken any teasing comment with an easygoing laugh and a toss of her ocean-blue hair.

“One Direction is fine,” Jaida decides after a moment. She can’t help but think of her soulmate, and whether or not they, too, have a One Direction playlist that they listen to on repeat. She might as well take this opportunity to get acquainted with their favourite band. “I just wanted to make sure you’ve got more taste than this.”

“Haters gonna hate,” Crystal replies breezily, grinning at Jaida in the rearview mirror, and Jaida grins right back.

~

Jaida is unusually nervous.

She swirls the words on her tongue — three simple words — and wonders at her own anxiety. She isn’t usually like this, and she’d hardly expect _Crystal_ of all people to be the reason for it.

She bites the bullet as Crystal locks her car.

“You want lunch?” Jaida asks cordially.

Crystal chews on her bottom lip, silent, and for a moment, Jaida wonders what in the world she’s done wrong. Do event coordinators have something against eating lunch with their coworkers? Maybe it’s something specific to Crystal’s team, or maybe Crystal just doesn’t like her.

“I mean, I would,” Crystal says eventually, her voice high-pitched and sheepish. “But I promised I’d hang out with Widow on my break, so… I can’t.”

Jaida has no idea who Widow is, and she doesn’t bother asking. She isn’t sure whether or not she wants to know why all the people she’s hearing about today have such strange names.

“It’s cool,” she says instead. “I’ll see you after.”

“See you then!”

They part ways in the lobby. Jaida finds Nicky in her dressing room, saying something in French to her phone, adding a slow emphasis to every syllable as though she is talking to a small child. A moment later, a voice parrots it back through the phone, and Nicky visibly winces.

“We’ll work on it,” she promises. Her gaze snaps up when Jaida snickers, and Jaida takes her glare as an invitation to sit down right beside her.

“Hey, bitches,” Jaida says, grinning when she peers at the phone and sees Jackie’s pixelated face looking back. “How’re y’all going on this fine day?”

“Damn, something’s got you in a good mood,” Nicky comments wryly, but her cold facade is broken by the slight quirk of her lips. “Did that meth girl give you a joint or something?”

“I don’t smoke at work, you dumbass,” Jaida chides her playfully as Jackie laughs. “Also, her name is _Crystal,_ and she is so fucking good at her job.”

Nicky raises a playful eyebrow. “Oh really?”

“Don’t give me that look, bitch. Didn’t you realise I’m back half an hour early?”

“Nope.”

“You guys, I’m so confused,” Jackie cuts in. “Since when was there a meth girl?”

“Oh my god, I can’t believe I forgot to tell you!” Nicky exclaims. She’d been there when Jaida had received her schedule, and had gawked right along with her when they saw Crystal’s name. “Just this chick Jaida’s working with for the next week. What was her full name again, Jaida? Crystal Meth?”

“Crystal Methyd,” Jaida corrects, as Jackie’s hand flies to her face in a feeble attempt to maintain her composure. Jaida can’t help but wonder if she’d react the same if she met Crystal in person; now that Jaida can put a face — and a personality — to the name, it seems less outlandish and more… quirky.

“So? What’s she like? Apart from being ‘so fucking good at her job?’” Nicky asks, her eyes gleaming with a strange sort of curiosity. “Is she as crazy as you thought?”

“And then some,” Jaida laughs. “But she’s, like, a fun crazy. It’s cool. She looks like a lollipop.”

Nicky nods slowly. “Please elaborate.”

“Blue hair, a fuck ton of necklaces… the whole shebang,” Jaida says. She’s still stunned at how Crystal doesn’t get sick of the constant rattling of the beads. “Like, you know those big ass lollipops we had as kids? The swirly rainbow ones? Imagine one of those, but blue. That’s Crystal.”

Nicky nearly chokes on her lunch.

“That is the single most amazing thing I have ever heard,” she proclaims, mouth still half full. “Calling someone a ‘big ass lollipop’. Have I told you I love you, Jaida?”

“Hey!” Jackie whines, pretending to be wounded by the statement. “I thought your heart belonged to me, Miss Doll.”

“You can share,” Nicky replies haughtily, sticking her tongue out at Jackie.

“No fair.”

“Deal with it.”

Jaida laughs, already all too familiar with Nicky and Jackie’s playful banter. They might bicker like an old married couple, but Jaida always sees how Nicky rolls her sleeves up when she’s nervous, sees how she’ll immediately relax as she gazes at her lilac flowers.

Jaida has known Nicky since they were kids, and she has never seen anyone make her smile like Jackie does.

“Well,” Jaida says, “unfortunately for you, child, my heart will soon belong to an avid One Direction fan. Sorry ’bout it.”

_Soon,_ she thinks, as soon as the words have left her lips. How soon? It’s such a loose term. _Soon_ could be twenty years, or it could be tomorrow. Fate has left her nothing but a string of words to follow, and she has given nothing back - save for the Arabic tattoo, her skin is empty.

“Girl, if they were still a thing, I would sit through an entire concert for you to find your soulmate,” Nicky promises. “And that’s no small deal, Jaida - that’s ten years off of my life, just for you.”

“Luckily for you they’re still no longer a thing,” Jackie remarks.

Jaida chuckles. “Actually, I listened to some One Direction today, in the car. Crystal played it non-stop.”

“Maybe _Crystal_ is your soulmate!” Nicky gasps, bolting upright in her seat.

“Bitch! She’s my coworker!” Jaida can’t help but wrinkle her nose - Crystal is nice, but _soulmates_ is taking it a bit too far.

“That’s how all the best love stories start, you know!”

“Naw, child, I doubt it. We’re too different.”

“Since when has that stopped anyone?” Jackie grins, sharing a knowing glance with Nicky.

“I’ll believe it until proven otherwise,” Nicky insists, slamming her fist on the table emphatically. “Besides, she sounds like the type to get a One Direction tattoo in a foreign language, don’t you think?”

Jaida rolls her eyes, amused. “You haven’t even met her!”

“And also,” Nicky continues slyly, ignoring Jaida. “You have no proof that she’s _not_ your soulmate. You won’t know for sure until she shows you her collarbone.”

“Ooh, kinky,” Jaida deadpans. “What do you want me to do, take her to, like, a strip club or something and hope she takes her clothes off? You can do that, child, I’m keeping things professional.”

Jackie laughs. “Let’s plan a double date.”

“Let’s get through this next week first, then we’ll talk,” Jaida counters, knowing the possibility of her following through will be slim. Still, she can’t help but wonder if by then, she and Crystal will actually know each other well enough for the idea to be plausible.

“Oh, wait! I have something to show you,” Nicky gasps suddenly, swiping off of FaceTime and opening photos instead. She chooses an image before swivelling her phone around for Jaida to see. “Sorry, I know this is going totally off-topic, but you must see this.”

It’s a photograph of Shea Couleé, one of Nicky’s fellow models, standing in a gauzy gown of galactic violets and a shimmering ebony. Jaida recognises the design instantly - it was one of the first things she pitched to Bianca, who, later on, begrudgingly admitted that she liked it so much she’d nearly promoted Jaida on the spot. The top half of the dress is covered in jewelled stars and surrounded by rings of planets, whilst the bottom is layers of tulle and gleaming black satin that shines like the midnight sky. Jaida remembers thinking something like this would be impossible to bring to life, yet now, she’s not only seen it on a mannequin, but also right here, in this photograph of Shea.

And she looks so beautiful, Jaida almost feels herself tearing up. Shea’s warm brown skin seems to glow amidst the glimmering jewels and star-shaped rhinestones. She holds her head high, ink-dark hair cascading down her back and over her shoulders, spilling over constellations and galaxies. She looks regal, silver specks like starlight pooling in her obsidian eyes. She’s surrounded by tiny worlds, supernovas and shining stars, and Shea wears them all like she’s the sun. Jaida can’t take her eyes off of her.

“I know, right?” Nicky gushes. “Doesn’t she look so incredible?”

“Holy fuck. Holy shit, child, I can’t. This isn’t real. Pinch me.”

“It’s real!” Nicky promises, grinning from ear to ear. “I saw her at the fitting. She looks even better in person - I can’t wait for you to see her model it.”

Jaida genuinely has no words. They lodge in her throat, sticky with unspoken emotion. This moment feels… _powerful_. It feels like all her dreams have come true at once. All her late nights designing, sewing, stoning fabrics and adjusting seams - every moment feels worth it. She stares at the image, trying to sear it into her mind so that she’ll never forget it, wears the thought of it like a badge of honour. Jaida feels like anything is possible; like this show might just be perfect.

~

Jaida finds Crystal sitting in her car, headbanging to music so loud Jaida can hear it from outside — it’s still One Direction — as though the world isn’t passing right outside the windows.

“Hey, bitch,” Jaida greets her cheerfully, sliding into the passenger seat. She has to choke back a laugh when Crystal practically leaps out of her skin, her back stiffening until it’s ramrod straight.

“Shit,” she gasps. “Sorry. You literally gave me a heart attack. Oh my god, don’t ever do that again.”

This time, Jaida can’t hold back an amused snort. “I could tell. You were completely in your own world just then.”

“Such is the power of One Direction,” Crystal replies sagely as she turns the music back down to a more appropriate volume. “By the way, we’ve got another stop after this next meeting - the designers just finished the flyers and stuff, so we gotta go print them off.”

“No trouble.” Jaida can’t say she’s enthusiastic about having yet another task on her itinerary, but this one is so minimal effort that she can’t complain.

“Right, cool.” Crystal shifts the gearstick as Jaida leans back in her seat, surrounded by the generic pop melodies of One Direction and her own thoughts.

She can’t help but reminisce on Nicky’s words from earlier. What if all this is the work of fate? Are these car rides — and the fact that Crystal has, so far, played absolutely nothing but One Direction — destiny?

It sends an undeniable shiver up Jaida’s spine. To think that this moment was fated to happen no matter what she does feels… strange, to say the least. But if they are fated to fall in love, why doesn’t Jaida feel it?

She chances a sidewards glance at Crystal, and realises that she must have taken her denim jacket off sometime during the lunch break. Now, the jacket is loosely tied around her waist, and the T-shirt she’s wearing above it leaves her arms bare.

Bare enough for Jaida to see her tattoos.

There’s one on her right bicep: Jaida can only see the lower half of it, but it looks intricately detailed. She notices a small cat and a pair of legs before her gaze lands on the inside of Crystal’s other arm, where two circular symbols are inked onto her skin.

A weird combination of disappointment and relief washes over Jaida. Crystal isn’t fated to be hers after all - there are her tattoos, not one but _two_ of them, likely both tied to a mysterious, predestined love.

_You haven’t seen her collarbone yet,_ Nicky’s voice whispers in Jaida’s mind, but Jaida shoves it away. She doesn’t care. This is confirmation enough.

It’s incredibly common for people to get their soul tattoos in obvious places, like these tattoos on Crystal’s arms, or the flowers on Nicky and Jackie’s wrists that led them to one another. Jaida still remembers how Nicky would refuse to cover up her tattoos when she went outside, because _“today could be the day, Jaida!”_

Jaida almost laughs at the memory. She wonders if her own soulmate has spent as much of the last four years as possible with their tattoo showing. That might make things easier.

But Jaida has decided that she doesn’t care for easy. She’s grateful that her tattoo — her fucking _One Direction tattoo_ — is in a place that she can cover up, and that in the meantime, her freedom is still hers. She doesn’t even need to think about her soulmate if she doesn’t want to. The words on her collarbone are the only things binding them, and right now, that bond can easily be ignored.

Her thoughts drift, momentarily, to Gigi - the girl she met years ago, with the honey-gold hair and skin as smooth as flower petals. She thinks about the image of the little doll on Gigi’s ribcage: the only trace of ink on her pale skin.

They had briefly asked about each other’s marks, and that was it. They didn’t match, but it didn’t matter. It had never mattered, even as they watched the spark die out and realised that maybe it was just destiny.

They’re still friends. Jaida sees Gigi sometimes, and it still makes her smile. Even if it’s over — even if it was never meant to be — they shared something special, regardless of their mismatched tattoos.

Jaida glances over at Crystal again. She’s focused on the road ahead, but she’s still quietly murmuring along to the music. She’s undeniably beautiful, Jaida thinks, with her sandy freckles and cerulean hair. She chances one more look at Crystal’s tattoos and fires off a text to Nicky.

_I was right!! She’s already tattooed, so… no chance there._

Nicky’s reply comes instantaneously.

_Seen her collarbone yet? ; )_

Jaida leaves her on read.

~

Jaida and Crystal are the last customers in the print store.

It’s nearly closing time, and the girl behind the counter looks rather irritated to see them there. Ordinarily, Jaida wouldn’t have been too happy to be waiting around this late either, but today, she has Crystal. Talking to Crystal is easy; conversation flows between them like bubbling spring water, and Jaida soon forgets about the time.

She picks up one of the flyers as a staff member deposits a pile of them on the counter. Beside her, Crystal looks like she’s about to vibrate right out of her skin with anticipation.

“You good there?” Jaida asks, her brows furrowing in concern.

“Oh, yeah, totally.” Crystal shoots her a self-assured grin. “Just waiting to see what you think.”

Jaida’s gaze darts back to the flyer in her hand, and she almost does a double take. Looking back at her is a gorgeous model, dark skin shining a brilliant topaz in the gold lights and falling glitter.

And she’s wearing Jaida’s galaxy dress.

The drawing of it is almost better than the real thing. It no longer looks like a garment - rather, the model has become one with the universe itself, as though she carries worlds in her palms and constellations in her eyes. She looks powerful, commanding, ethereal.

Jaida’s gaze travels down the line of the model’s body and there, in the bottom corner, is a tiny signature of swirling script and looping letters. Jaida peers closer at it, making out an elegant C and the long tail of a Y.

“…Crystal, did you draw this?”

“I did!” Crystal seems to brighten, her face alight with pleasure, at Jaida’s realisation. “Do you like it?”

“Are you kidding? Child, this is amazing!” She traces the outline of the perfect silhouette, still in awe of the work of art she’s holding. Crystal’s talent is immeasurable.

“I was given some photocopies of the designs that are gonna be in the show,” Crystal says. “And I just liked this one so much I _knew_ I had to draw it. Do you know who designed it? The sketch didn’t look like one of Bianca’s.”

“Yeah. It’s not,” Jaida replies, almost shyly. “It’s mine.”

“No _way!”_ Crystal gasps, slamming her palms onto the counter and wincing at the noise she makes. “How are you not, like, head designer? Hell, you could probably take Bianca’s job if you wanted to.”

This gets a laugh out of Jaida. “Bitch, I’d have to pry it from her cold, dead hands!”

“Okay, okay, true. But holy shit, Jaida. This dress is gorgeous. What are you even doing running these silly errands? You should be with all the designers. Why _aren’t_ you with all the designers? I bet Bianca’s just scared you’re gonna outdo her.”

“Don’t let her hear you say that,” Jaida snickers, “but it’s really just that we don’t have enough people yet. We’re still a small brand, so it’s very, like, all hands on deck. Everyone’s gotta do a bit of everything.”

“Oh. I guess that makes sense.” Crystal nods slowly. “How long have you been working with Bianca?”

“A year now,” Jaida replies. “It’s a good job. I get to do a lot of stuff - I’ve designed, sewed, and I did some of the models’ makeup one time.”

“Wow,” Crystal breathes, and Jaida warms at how impressed she looks. “You’ve gotta show me more of your dresses when we do the run-through in a couple days.”

Jaida smiles. “Sure.” There’s a pause before she adds, “what about you? What got you into event coordination?”

“I wanted to be a freelance artist for the longest time,” Crystal explains, shrugging. “But it’s just… not easy making a living like that. So I found some jobs where I could do some art here and there, and this was the first one that stuck.”

“I get that,” Jaida agrees quietly. It’s easy to have big dreams, but making them come true is another story - she feels lucky to have met Bianca when she did. “But with a talent like this,” she continues, gesturing to the flyer in her hands, “I can see you going places. _Big_ places.”

“Aw.” Crystal’s face softens in a smile. “That’s so sweet. Thanks, Jaida.”

“That’s everything,” the girl behind the counter interrupts before Jaida can respond. “You’re with Del Rio, right?”

“Yep.”

“Right. All yours, then.” She gestures to the boxes of flyers and programs before turning away to shut off the printers.

“Welp, let’s get moving,” Crystal says, grunting as she heaves a box off the counter. Jaida follows, pretending not to notice the way Crystal’s tattoos flex as she moves. They load the boxes of flyers and event programs into the car before Crystal slams the boot shut, turning to face Jaida and smiling triumphantly.

“All in a good day’s work,” Jaida says, grinning.

“We were amazing today,” Crystal agrees, putting her hand up for a high-five. Jaida smiles and hits Crystal’s palm with her own.

Crystal tuts. “That was _weak,”_ she tells Jaida. “Come on, you can give me more than that!” She raises her hand again, waving it in Jaida’s face. “Go! Go! Go! Show me what you’ve got!”

“What the fuck,” Jaida laughs, but she complies, whacking Crystal’s hand with as much strength as she can. “Better?”

“Oof,” Crystal groans, shaking out her hand before breaking into a smile. “See? That was _much_ better. I knew you had it in you.”

“You are so crazy.”

“That’s old news, Jaida,” Crystal replies sagely. “Old, old news.”

Jaida snorts, almost in disbelief. Crystal is so amusing.

“I see. Thanks for catching me up,” she says, playing along.

“You’re very welcome.” Crystal grins brightly before opening the car door. “Now let’s take this stuff back so we can go home. I want a warm shower and some food.”

“That sounds amazing,” Jaida murmurs, sliding into the passenger seat beside Crystal.

“Yeah. You know what else sounds amazing?” Crystal asks, grabbing her phone as the car hums to life. “This song. This is the perfect way to end a good day at work.”

A moment later, upbeat, electronic music fills the car, and Crystal immediately begins bobbing her head to the beat.

“Let me guess,” Jaida says, pretending to think, “One Direction?”

Crystal’s brilliant grin is all the confirmation she needs.

They begin driving, and Jaida will admit that while she doesn’t like the song, Crystal’s finally-free-of-work-for-the-day excitement is infectious.

_“Baby say yeah, yeah, yeah!”_ Crystal sings as they’re waiting at a red light.

_“Yeah, yeah, yeah!”_ Jaida joins in, and her chest warms when Crystal turns to her, eyes wide and shining with a pleasant surprise.

_“If you don’t wanna take it slow, and you just wanna take me home, baby say yeah, yeah, yeah,”_ Crystal sings, her gaze flicking expectantly to Jaida.

_“Yeah, yeah, yeah!”_ Jaida finishes. Crystal giggles, bubbly with delight, as the light changes and she resumes driving.

Jaida leans back into the faux leather of the seat, her skin flush with a strange — but not unwelcome — warmth. It feels like Crystal’s presence has touched her in a peculiar way. Her bluebell laughter, her childlike excitement, her wild and wonderful charisma — all of it feels so comfortable to Jaida already, even though she’s only known Crystal for a single day.

She likes Crystal, she’s decided. Crystal with the strange name and the lollipop hair. Crystal who sings along to One Direction in the car. Crystal with the tattoos painting her tanned skin.

Jaida leaves work that evening feeling light on her feet, a lively melody playing on loop in her head. This day turned out better than she could have expected, and she has high hopes for the week ahead.

She hums the melody that’s stuck in her head as she boards the train on her way home. It’s cheerful, upbeat - where did she hear this again?

With a laugh, she realises it’s the One Direction song she and Crystal had sung together on the way back home. Jaida decides it might not be so bad after all.


	3. Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shenanigans ensue as Jaida and Crystal spend another day together. There's M&Ms, Mexican food, and for Jaida, a realisation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, my schedule has gone out the window, but I hope y'all like this chapter nonetheless! 
> 
> Thank you so much to @dollalpaca for betaing!

It’s nine in the morning, and Jaida has a long shopping list and each of their several stops mapped out. Crystal is waiting outside the building for her, leaning against her car in a blue plaid button-up and jeans. She has her face tilted towards the morning sun, rays of gold light dancing through her cerulean hair.

“We’re going shopping!” Crystal sings when she sees her. “You got the list?”

“Hello to you too,” Jaida replies. “It’s right here.” She pats her bag, unable to stop a happy grin from spreading across her face. She’s looked forward to seeing Crystal again; so far, working with her hasn’t felt like work. It’s fun. _Crystal_ is fun.

“Sweet, let’s go.” Crystal bows as she opens the passenger door for Jaida. “After you, m’lady.”

Jaida laughs. “Why, thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

A moment later, Crystal is sliding into the seat beside her. She’s as cheerful as ever today, and Jaida immediately feels lighter.

“Are we gonna listen to One Direction again?” she asks, her chest warming when Crystal giggles.

“You already know me so well.” She grins. “We can play something different, if you want. Actually, Widow’s been getting me into Chaka Khan lately, if that’s more your style.”

“Hell yeah. I love Chaka.” Jaida can’t help but think back to Jan from her college days. Jan always refused to play one particular Chaka Khan song because it reminded her of “that time my dreams were crushed, Jaida. Crushed!”

“Chaka Khan it is then!” Crystal beams. “Widow is going to be so proud of me, listening to her music without being forced to.”

“Can you put on _This is My Night?”_ Jaida asks, remembering how she used to play it just to annoy Jan, who would flop back onto the nearest soft surface with a melodramatic sigh. The memory still makes Jaida laugh.

“That is _such_ a good song,” Crystal says, tapping her phone one more time before the familiar music hums from the car speakers. “I think Widow would like you a lot, Jaida.”

“That’s great, but… who’s Widow?”

“Sorry, I thought I already told you about her,” Crystal says sheepishly. “She’s my best friend. And she’s working with the light and sound department for your show.”

“Neat. So I’ll get to meet her in a couple days?”

“Yeah! I assume so, anyways.” Crystal shifts the car into gear and begins driving. “We’re going to the supermarket first, right?”

“Affirmative.”

They lapse into silence as Crystal drives. Jaida sneaks glances at her out of the corner of her eye; Crystal looks just as stunning as she did the day before, with her ocean-blue hair spilling over her shoulders, tanned skin shining gold in the sunlight beaming through the windows. She’s still wearing a ridiculous amount of necklaces, and clad entirely in blue - the amount of blue she wears should be overwhelming, but Crystal manages to look effortlessly gorgeous. Especially today, with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, form-fitting jeans accentuating the curve of her hips. Jaida feels strangely grateful for the fact that her tattoos are covered.

“You good?” Crystal asks, jolting Jaida out of her reverie.

“Uh - yes. Yes. I’m great,” Jaida stutters, desperately hoping Crystal doesn’t see the blush permeating her cheeks.

Crystal just giggles, light and airy, and doesn’t comment further.

~

“Alright. So.” Crystal glances at the shopping list, reading off the items in order before she bursts out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Jaida asks, confused.

“Jelly babies!” Crystal howls. “Why in the world does Bianca want _jelly babies?_ What’s she going to do, stick them on an outfit or something?”

Jaida snickers at the idea. “Nah. She just likes to eat them while she works.”

“Huh. I never would’ve expected that from her,” Crystal says. “Not that I know her very well or anything, but… among our team, she does have a bit of a reputation.”

“No kidding. Bianca has a reputation with everyone.”

“And now,” Crystal continues, “she’ll also be known as the boss that eats jelly babies on the job.” She halts in her tracks, realisation dawning on her face. “Oh my god, stop. She _eats babies._ How did I not realise this sooner?”

Jaida bursts out laughing before she can stop herself.

“You know what, child?” She wheezes. “You might be onto something.”

“I’m always onto something.” They’ve reached the candy aisle - Crystal grabs a packet of jelly babies and chucks it in the trolley. “Hey, if Bianca gets to have candy, we should have some too. What do you think? A couple extra packets won’t hurt.”

“Only if the money comes outta your pocket,” Jaida replies sternly.

Crystal rolls her eyes. “Right, strict boss, hoarding all the candy. I forget.”

“You wanna get some or not?”

“Obviously.” Crystal briefly pores over her options before adding a couple more packets to the trolley. “Sugar makes everything better.”

“If you say so.”

“I do. In fact—” Crystal grabs a tube of M&Ms from a display and holds it to her face like a microphone. “—I, Crystal Methyd, declare that sugar is officially the solution to every problem, ever. And glitter. Oh, and maybe weed.”

“I wish,” Jaida snorts, bemused. Crystal looks so ridiculous - and weirdly adorable - standing opposite her, speaking into the figurine of the green M&M that crowns the tube of chocolate.

A moment later, the plastic toy is directly in front of Jaida’s nose, and she quite nearly goes cross-eyed looking at it. She glances back at Crystal, who is grinning at her impishly.

“Jaida! Do you have anything to add?” Crystal asks, trying - and failing - to sound like a news reporter. She sounds more like she’s on the brink of uncontrollable laughter.

“Uh… don’t smoke at work. But definitely wear more glitter, it’ll piss Bianca off when it gets everywhere.” She arches a brow, unable to stop herself from smiling at Crystal’s antics. “You gonna buy that?”

“Now that’s a campaign I can get behind. And also…” Crystal draws her arm back, clearing her throat. She doesn’t break eye contact with Jaida as she raises the M&M figurine to her face, her expression gravely serious despite the playfulness shimmering in her eyes.

“No,” she says simply and, in one swift movement, swings her hand behind her to put the M&Ms back in their display.

Except she misses, and knocks the entire display over instead.

“Shit!” Jaida yelps, running to catch the stand and push it upright again. “Careful, Crystal!”

She’s a little too late. There are tubes of M&Ms rolling across the ground now, having flown out of the display before Jaida caught it.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Crystal gasps, bending down to clean up her mess. “I hope I didn’t break anythi--”

“What’s going on here?” an unfamiliar voice snaps from a short distance away, and Jaida whirls around to see someone who might be the store manager, marching down the aisle and straight towards them. Her face is thunderous, an expression of irritation and anger so strong it could rival one of Bianca’s.

Jaida panics.

“Uhh… look over there!” she yelps, pointing in a random direction before bending to help Crystal clean up. To her utmost surprise, the trick works, and by the time the woman turns back around, they’re putting the last of the M&Ms away. The woman offers them both one last venomous glare before turning around again, and Jaida breathes a sigh of relief, returning to their trolley.

Crystal tugs at the front of it, pulling Jaida to the back of the supermarket. They dart down the aisle together, breathless with barely-stifled laughter, until Crystal is finally assured that they’re far enough away from the manager.

“Jaida!” Crystal squeals, her eyes shining as she clutches at Jaida’s arm. “‘Look over there!’ That was gold. I can’t believe she actually fell for it!”

“Child, I fully panicked,” Jaida admits, her veins still crackling with adrenaline. “But hey, somehow it actually worked! That was insane.”

Crystal swats her lightly, her face lit up in a grin. _“You’re_ insane. That was so funny! I bet she hates us.”

“Whatever,” Jaida says dismissively, unable to stop a smile from tugging at her lips. “She didn’t come and yell at us, so I say that’s a win.”

“Yeah,” Crystal agrees, nodding seriously. “Hey, you know what-- _look over there!”_

Jaida whirls around, startled. “What?”

Behind her, Crystal shrieks with laughter, and Jaida realises - too late - that she’s been tricked. Fooled by her own game.

She spins back around, an amused smile on her face and a smart comeback on the tip of her tongue, but the words die in her throat the second she sees Crystal.

She looks like she’s been lit up from the inside out; like her laughter bubbles up in sparkling silver and gold, breathing lively colour into her cheeks, her freckles dancing across her skin like fairy lights. She’s beautiful, when she laughs like this.

Crystal looks up, her brown eyes flickering with fragments of light. Maybe Jaida’s smile is a bit stupid, softer at the edges, because Crystal grabs her hands and grins up at her like Jaida’s smile means the entire world.

Jaida isn’t sure what happens. One of them starts snickering, and suddenly they’re giggling like schoolchildren, faces flush with warmth. Jaida can feel Crystal’s touch spread through her body like fire, crackling beneath her skin. Her heart skips a beat, maybe two, when she looks at Crystal again.

“You are so funny, Jaida,” Crystal giggles. “I can’t believe you fell for your own trick.”

Jaida huffs out a laugh. “I can’t believe it either.”

“Don’t worry,” Crystal assures her, squeezing Jaida’s hands. “It was super adorable.”

Jaida’s heart does a weird flutter in her chest that she opts to ignore. “Thanks. You are too.” She says it like it’s an offhand comment, but finds that she truly means it.

Crystal’s smile shines brighter than the moon. “Thank you,” she replies cheerfully, opening her mouth to say something else before her grip suddenly stiffens on Jaida’s hand. Jaida blinks at her in confusion as her gaze darts towards the ceiling.

“What is--”

“This is one of my favourite songs!” Crystal squeals, pulling away from Jaida and twirling past their shopping trolley. Jaida watches, amused, as Crystal begins lip-syncing in the middle of the aisle, throwing her arms out dramatically as she dances around.

“Is it One Direction?” Jaida jokes, even though she can quite clearly tell that the singer is a woman. In fact, she recognises the song: Nelly Furtado’s _I’m Like a Bird._ It’s fitting, for Crystal.

“Oh my god, no,” Crystal laughs, bouncing back over to her side to swat her lightly on the arm. “This is Nelly Furtado, you dingus.” She takes Jaida’s hands again, sending that now-familiar warmth shooting up Jaida’s arms, and pulls her into a haphazard twirl.

“Child--” Jaida stumbles, only just managing not to step on Crystal’s feet.

“Come dance with me!” Crystal encourages her, grinning wildly, tossing her head as the music picks up. She lets go of Jaida’s hands to return to her spinning and dancing, giving Jaida room to decide whether or not to join her.

Jaida isn’t about to remind her that they’re still in the supermarket, and that they’ve only found half of the items on Bianca’s incredibly specific list. Crystal’s excitement is a breath of fresh air; it’s infectious, and Jaida soon finds herself dancing around the aisle, side-by-side with Crystal. They’re alone, tucked away near the cat litter, and free - for the moment, at least - to be as obstructive as they want.

The mood splinters when Crystal seizes Jaida’s arm in a vice-like grip, bringing their dancing to a jarring halt.

“Look over there,” she whispers, her gaze trained on the other end of the aisle, and it takes Jaida a moment to realise that this time, she’s deadly serious. Jaida glances in the same direction and startles.

It’s the store manager again, looking ever the more like she’s just swallowed a crab. Jaida can almost see the stormcloud hanging over her head.

“Do you think she’s come to kick us out of the supermarket?” Crystal whispers, squeezing Jaida’s arm.

“I hope not,” Jaida whispers back, as the woman fixes them with a venomous glare. “If word gets back to Bianca, she’ll whoop my ass.”

“Oh, shit.”

The manager stops to talk to an employee, and Crystal takes the opportunity to dash across the aisle and grab the biggest bag of cat litter she can find. She waves Jaida over and shoves the bag into her arms; it’s heavier than Jaida expects and she grunts, struggling to get a good grip on it.

“Tic Tac shits so much, we’ll need _two_ bags of this stuff,” Crystal proclaims loudly, right as the manager walks past. Jaida hugs the cat litter to her chest, locking eyes with the woman for the briefest of moments. Jaida can’t tell if she’s angry at them, or if her face is just permanently fixed like that.

“Afternoon, ma’am,” Jaida says awkwardly. The manager turns away with a stiff nod and continues walking without a second glance, and Jaida lets out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. She passes the cat litter back to Crystal, who nearly drops it before she unceremoniously returns it to the shelf.

“You are officially the craziest person I’ve ever met,” Jaida tells her. “Is Tic Tac even a real cat?”

“Yeah. You should meet her someday,” Crystal replies with a shiny grin. “Wasn’t that genius? She didn’t even _want_ to talk to us after hearing about my cat’s made-up shitting problem.”

“We also could’ve greeted her politely, apologised for earlier, and let her go on her merry way, but…” Jaida shrugs. “Whatever works, I guess.”

“That’s the spirit!” Crystal says brightly. “Well, I guess we should get back to it.” She pauses. “Our actual job, I mean.”

“That would probably be a good idea,” Jaida agrees, laughing. She doesn’t think she’s had this much fun grocery shopping since she was a little kid, and the world seemed so great and wild. Crystal seems to bring that magic with her wherever she goes.

Jaida could get used to this.

~

“Hey, sorry I couldn’t eat lunch with you yesterday,” Crystal says, after they’ve delivered the shopping to Bianca. “I don’t have anything on today, so… maybe we could grab something to eat together?”

“Sure. I usually hang out with the models, if--”

“I have a better idea,” Crystal interrupts, her eyes shining. “The Mexican place I used to work at is just down the road, and I’d love to treat you to some of my home cuisine. If you’re interested.”

There are a lot of things going through Jaida’s head in that moment, but the first thing that comes out of her mouth is, “are you Mexican?”

Crystal laughs at her surprise. “Yeah, I’m half-Mexican, so most people don’t realise until I tell them. Or until they hear me having a conversation in Spanish. I’m not very good at speaking it, but it’s still fun to shock people like that.”

“Huh. Nice. All the Spanish I know is from watching _Dora the Explorer_ with my little cousins.”

Crystal snickers. _“Vámonos!”_ she says, winking, before taking Jaida’s hand in hers and leading her back to the car. It doesn’t take long for them to get to the restaurant, and Crystal links her hand with Jaida’s again as they walk through the doors.

“Welcome,” she says, gesturing expansively with her free hand. “This place is like a second home to me. Isn’t it so lovely?”

“It is,” Jaida agrees, taking in her surroundings. The restaurant is cozy, washed with warm gold lights and alive with the sound of friendly chatter. It feels homely, comfortable, and it smells _amazing._ Crystal falls into an easy conversation with the staff member that greets them, and she doesn’t let go of Jaida’s hand until they’re taking their seats at a table.

_“Qué lugar tan encantador para una cita,”_ the staff member comments cheekily as he distributes their menus, and Crystal’s cheeks immediately flood with red.

_“¡Ya quisiera!”_ she replies, looking flustered. _“Estamos trabajando juntas.”_

Jaida simply sits and listens despite not understanding a word; she loves the lilt of Crystal’s voice as she speaks Spanish, the gorgeously accented edge to every syllable. Crystal may not think her Spanish skills are great, but Jaida thinks she sounds beautiful.

“What was that about?” Jaida asks once the staff member has left. She’s beyond curious as to what could possibly have been said to make Crystal go red like that.

“Oh, nothing, nothing,” Crystal replies quickly, waving her away. “He just asked what we were doing here.”

“Alright…” Jaida doesn’t believe her, but she lets the subject drop. For several silent moments, they both sit reading their menus, but Jaida is distracted, her mind constantly darting back to the dappled rose of Crystal’s cheeks.

She can’t stop her gaze from returning to Crystal, who she finds is already looking back. A soft flush rises to Crystal’s cheeks when she realises Jaida has caught her staring, but neither of them look away.

And when Crystal smiles, Jaida feels herself slipping, deeper and deeper into sandy freckles and earthen eyes. They shine like fragments of honey and topaz in the hazy lights of the restaurant, and it is nothing short of mesmerising.

Jaida finally looks away when she realises she’s definitely staring. Across the table, Crystal giggles, and Jaida’s gaze snaps right back up to her face.

“You’re really pretty, you know,” Crystal says, and Jaida can’t quite tell from that sparkle in her eyes whether she’s being playful or genuine.

Maybe it’s both, she resolves, feeling a hot flush creep up her neck.

“Thank you,” she stutters. “You’re - you’re very pretty, too.” She could use a hundred different adjectives right now, but they’re muddled and heavy on her tongue, so she chooses the simplest.

Crystal offers her a dazzling smile in response. “I know.”

And now Jaida is chuckling again, all awkwardness forgotten. She’s comfortable, sitting here with Crystal, even after their odd staring contest. Jaida peruses the menu again, about to open her mouth to ask Crystal what her recommendations are, and--

_Wait._

_Is this a_ date?

The realisation descends on her like a bolt of lightning. She glances over at Crystal again, still innocently reading the menu. Her lips are quirked in the tiniest of smiles, and it’s adorable.

Jaida shakes the distracting thought away. Surely this isn’t a date. She must be overthinking it. They’re going to be working together, just the two of them, on a lot of things this week - and what’s a lunch between friends?

_But she could have agreed to have lunch with Nicky and the other models,_ a tiny voice whispers in her head. _And yet here you are, alone together in one of her favourite restaurants._

_No. It’s not a date,_ she insists to herself, before casually clearing her throat.

“I - uh, I don’t eat Mexican much,” she says. “So I was wondering what you’d recommend?”

“Hm.” Crystal thinks for a moment, resting her chin on her hand. “I mean, we could go basic and just get nachos, or… the tostadas here are to die for, if you want to try those.” She points to a picture on the menu, and Jaida can already feel her mouth watering. “Ooh, or maybe we could have _Sopa de Lima?_ That’s always lovely, too.”

Jaida skims the description of each dish and eventually settles on the tostadas, much to Crystal’s delight.

“This looks heavenly,” Jaida says, gesturing to the image on the menu.

Crystal grins. “Perfect! You’re easy to please.”

“What can I say? The food looks delicious. I trust your judgment, chief.”

“Oh, believe me, it is _so_ good. You’d better leave a five-star review after this.”

“We’ll see,” Jaida says, but she knows she probably will anyways. This place is already tied up with good feelings in her mind, and she’s sure the food won’t disappoint.

She’s absolutely correct.

The tostadas look ever the more appetising in person, and they taste even better than they look. Crystal hums in appreciation as soon as she takes a bite, and Jaida meets her sparkling eyes across the table, trying not to smile around her mouthful of food.

“Holy shit, child,” Jaida says after she’s swallowed. “This is so fucking good.”

“I told you so!” Crystal looks far too pleased with herself. “This is one of my favourite places on earth. We should come back sometime.” She pauses before quickly adding, “If you want to.”

“I’d love to,” Jaida agrees.

_Ooh, second date already,_ a voice that sounds suspiciously like Nicky whispers in Jaida’s mind. _This is soulmate behaviour if I’ve ever seen it._

_Shut up,_ Jaida replies, even though she knows she’s only talking to herself. She sneaks another glance at Crystal, who has returned to eating her food, and can’t help but think that she would go on a hundred more of these dates if she could.

Jaida hastily pushes the thought to the back of her mind, dropping her gaze before Crystal can catch her staring.

~

“And if it isn’t the essence of beauty herself!” A voice squeals as soon as Jaida sets foot in her apartment. She’s barely shut the door before she’s tackled in a hug.

“Heidi!” Jaida yelps, delighted. “Girl, I missed you! How was the trip?”

Heidi draws back, an enormous smile on her face. “It was _amazing,”_ she gushes. “I got to meet Nicki Minaj! She was a little harsh, but you know, at least I can check it off the bucket list.” She laughs, taking Jaida by the elbow and sitting her at the table. “Now, let’s have a catch-up, just like the old times.”

“The old times?” Jaida can’t help but snicker. “Heidi, it’s only been two weeks.”

“Felt like years without you, Jaida darling!”

Jaida laughs as Heidi pours two glasses of wine and sits down across the table. She’s really missed her roommate - Heidi’s been away on a dance program, and the apartment has been awfully quiet and lonely without her.

“It’s nice to have you back,” Jaida tells her honestly, picking up a glass and swirling it around. “Did you buy this just today?”

“Of course! It’s a special occasion,” Heidi says, grinning. “I got it on sale at the airport.”

“Hah! We love that. Cheers.” Jaida clinks the edge of her glass with Heidi’s and takes a sip.

“Cheers,” Heidi says. “So, what’s cracking? Been having fun without me?”

“Mostly work. Bianca’s got me working with this chick named Crystal for the next week. She’s really fun, I think you’d like her.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Jaida can’t seem to stop herself from smiling, but she can’t tell if it’s because Heidi’s back or because she's talking about Crystal. “We’re just doing odd jobs together, and I thought it’d be crazy boring, but Crystal makes it really enjoyable. Today we were shopping and she pretended to interview me with M&Ms before she knocked the entire display over. And then she made up a shitting problem for her cat so the manager wouldn’t get pissed at us.”

Heidi laughs, her eyes flickering with something Jaida can’t quite read. Curiosity? Amusement?

“She sounds like a nutcase,” Heidi says, quickly adding, “but the good kind of nutcase! Like… a _me_ kind of nutcase. The best kind.” She grins, flashing the gap between her front teeth.

“I guess she is.” Jaida giggles. “She also got me listening to One Direction, if you can believe it.” She leans across the table conspiratorially, feeling like a teenager sharing secrets in the dark. “I even sang along to one of the songs. We had, like, a party in the car on the way home.”

Okay, it wasn’t a party. But it felt like a celebration nonetheless. Jaida still remembers the electrifying delight she felt that afternoon, and her chest warms at the thought.

She catches herself smiling, perhaps a little too fondly, and takes a quick sip of her wine. Heidi is studying her curiously from across the table, dark eyes glittering with mischief.

“You _like_ her,” Heidi comments slyly, like she’s just uncovered a big secret, and Jaida nearly chokes.

“As a friend,” she clarifies.

“No, girl, don’t even try that with me.” Heidi is still smirking devilishly. “I see it in your eyes, Jaida! The love! It’s undeniable.”

Jaida rolls her eyes, but her grip tightens on the neck of the wineglass. “Pff, child, like you know about love,” she says, trying to sound nonchalant. “You haven’t even found your own soulmate yet.”

“Who said anything about soulmates?”

_Shit._

Heidi’s grin stretches impossibly wider. “Oh my god, you secretly think she’s your soulmate! I knew it! You might be onto something, I mean, seeing as she listens to One Direction--”

“She’s already tattooed,” Jaida interrupts. “She’s already got _two_ tattoos.”

“Oh.” For the briefest of moments, Heidi looks crestfallen, before she offers Jaida a reassuring smile. “At least she can help you learn about One Direction. Then you’ll _definitely_ impress your soulmate.”

This makes Jaida smile. “I already know all the words to the chorus of one song,” she says. “Pretty good start, don’t you think?”

“Ooh! Sing it!”

“Absolutely not.”

“I see…” Heidi grins again, the glimmer of mischief back in her eyes. “You’re reserving the sound of your beautiful angel voice for Crystal.”

Jaida rests her head in her hands. “It’s not like that, and you know it.”

“Nah, I think I’m right.” Heidi slams her fist on the table emphatically. “I know you, Jaida. You never cared about soulmates. You just like Crystal.”

Jaida digs around in her brain for a sharp retort, but she draws a blank. Instead, all she can remember is the warmth in her chest when she laughed with Crystal near the cat litter, the feeling of Crystal’s soft palm in hers on the way to lunch, and her silent, secret hope that that really was a date.

“I swear, you and Nicky have a one-track mind,” she says with a long-suffering sigh, shoving the confusing mess of feelings away. She can’t help but wonder why all her friends are so dead-set on her being with Crystal. Has she been single that long?

Or is she just that obvious?

Heidi nods approvingly. “She’s a smart one, that Nicky. You should listen to her more often.”

“Well, she’s wrong about this,” Jaida huffs stubbornly, “and so are you.”

Heidi raises a knowing eyebrow.

“She’s my coworker!” Jaida insists. “And I guess my friend, too, after today. But seriously, y’all are lunatics.”

“Speak for yourself,” Heidi laughs.

Jaida swats her playfully across the arm, but her stomach is churning. What if Heidi and Nicky are right? What if that tickle between her ribs in the supermarket, the electricity in the air at lunch-- what if that all meant something?

_No._ Jaida is not going to get into it. Crystal is her coworker. Crystal is tattooed. Crystal can never be hers, and Jaida isn’t about to introduce awkwardness to what is looking like it could be a great friendship.

“Tell me about your dance trip,” she says to Heidi, who raises a knowing brow as Jaida downs the rest of her wine in one go. To Jaida’s relief, Heidi doesn’t push the issue, and begins launching into a captivating story about Nicki Minaj and kale. Jaida sits back and tries her best to listen attentively, but her mind is still a whirlwind of brown eyes and freckles.

~

Jaida is consumed by thoughts of Crystal for the rest of the evening.

It takes her straight back to her college days with Jan, and the gradual fall she felt with Gigi. Except this time, Jaida feels like she’s been hit by a freight train. In only two days, she’s gone from humming One Direction songs on her way home to being overwhelmed by thoughts and feelings and utter confusion.

_Stop being so dramatic,_ she scolds herself. _You’re just overthinking it. You’re not in_ love _with her or anything._

_Then why does everyone think otherwise?_

_No. She’s just nice, and fun, and she’s a great friend._

As much as Jaida tries to convince herself, she knows it isn’t true. She’s been fighting this all day. Heidi’s affectionate teasing was the straw that broke the camel’s back and forced Jaida to finally admit it.

Not that she’d ever say so out loud, of course. She’d never hear the end of it.

_Nicky, Heidi and Jackie would gang up and create some ploy for Crystal to show me her collarbone,_ Jaida thinks to herself. _And it would be embarrassing for all of us,_ especially _if I’m right, and Crystal’s soul tattoos are really the ones on her arms. And then it’d be so awkward, she’d never want to talk to me again._

_Okay, no._ Jaida stops herself there. It might have only been two days, but she’s already sure that Crystal’s not that type of person.

Crystal’s the girl who sings loudly along to One Direction in the car. She’s the girl who held Jaida’s hands and laughed with her in the corner of the supermarket like they were the only ones there. She’s not the kind of girl who would just ditch Jaida over one awkward situation, Jaida’s sure of it.

Or at least, she hopes so. She’s only known Crystal a couple of days - perhaps to her, this is just a fun week-long project. Perhaps she never intends to see Jaida again after this.

The thought makes Jaida’s heart ache. A week is barely enough time to spend with Crystal, to get to know what makes her laugh, or for them to go on that second date to the Mexican restaurant.

_Second date._ There she goes again, calling it a date.

Was it a date?

The thought still plagues her like a thorn in her side. She can’t tell if it was just a kind sentiment, or if Crystal was genuinely asking her out. The lines between colleague and friend already became so blurred today - what if Crystal was blurring them further into flirtatiousness?

This is too much. Jaida sits on the edge of her bed, her head falling into her hands. How could she let this happen? She was going to focus on her work, she was going to make all her dreams come true - she was going to be incredible. But now, all she’s done is fall into a tangle of messy emotions that she never asked for, with a coworker she’s only just met. All her steadfast focus has gone out of the window, and Jaida feels like a fool.

She sighs, reaching for her phone - there’s no harm in listening to a bit of music before she sleeps. She finds herself putting on Chaka Khan’s _I Feel For You_ album before she realises what she’s doing, and soon enough, the familiar opening melody of _Through the Fire_ is echoing through the room.

Jaida relaxes, swathed by the music, letting the soulful lyrics thread through her heart, lulling her into peacefulness.

_You tell me you’re gonna play it smart  
We’re through before we start  
But I believe that we’ve only just begun_

It feels just a little bit too real, hits Jaida a little too close to home. But it’s still soothing - reassuring, almost. She finds herself getting to her feet, toes pressing into soft carpet, and she begins to dance.

_Through the fire  
To the limit, to the wall  
For a chance to be with you  
I’d gladly risk it all_

She dances around her room, carried by the music, gentle melodies and soulful lyrics threading their way through every fibre of her being. In this moment, all she sees is Crystal: she sees the way she smiled when they raced through the aisles of the supermarket, sees the way her hair billowed over her shoulders as she twirled and danced and laughed.

_Through the fire  
Through whatever, come what may  
For a chance at loving you  
I’d take it all the way_

Jaida spins on her toes, pressing her back to her wardrobe door and pretending the cool metal of its handle is Crystal’s soft palm. She is so wrapped up in her fantasy that she swears she can feel Crystal’s breathy laugh against her neck and the brush of her cerulean hair on her shoulders. It’s almost as though she’s back in the supermarket, when Crystal took her hand and spun her around.

Pulled along by the music, Jaida takes another delicate step, imagining that Crystal’s fingers are twined with her own. When she blinks, she sees the flash of Crystal’s jewel-bright eyes. Jaida can count every freckle dusting her cheeks. She reaches up, pretends she can brush her hand along Crystal’s jaw, pull her soft mouth closer--

“Ooh, girl,” comes a voice from the doorway, dripping in some devious mixture of amusement and pity. Jaida whips around to meet none other than Heidi, her lips painted in a smug smirk. “You have officially lost it.”

Jaida hand flies to her chest, just below her tattoo, where she can feel the erratic hammering of her heart against the ribs. Her entire body is blossoming with warmth, but Jaida can’t tell whether it’s from the embarrassment, or from the fresh bud that’s rooted itself in her chest.

She groans, flopping back onto her bed.

“You know I hate it when you’re right.”

“Sorry, I can’t help being so incredibly smart,” Heidi replies lightly. Jaida feels the mattress dip as Heidi sits down beside her. “Are you doing alright, Jai?”

“I don’t even know,” Jaida sighs. She pulls a pillow over her face, partly so she doesn’t have to feel Heidi’s quiet sympathy and partly because she really wants to scream. “You can say ‘I told you so,’” she mumbles from beneath the pillow.

“Naw, you already know that,” Heidi laughs. “It’ll be okay, Jaida. Do you wanna talk about it?” Reaching over, she lifts the pillow from Jaida’s face, and Jaida reluctantly lets her take it.

She’s silent for a long moment before she says, “I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Then…” Heidi pauses, thinking. “Just talk about whatever - it doesn’t have to be about you. Tell me about Crystal, or what y’all did today, or something. Just let all your feelings out.”

“I - okay.” Jaida blinks at Heidi gratefully before pulling herself into a seated position. “Crystal… she just has so much heart, Heidi. She could fill a room with that smile.” She pauses, thinking. “She took me to her favourite Mexican place for lunch and introduced me to her favourite foods. She’s really passionate about everything - her artwork, her culture, her music.”

“One Direction,” Heidi giggles, and Jaida nods, a genuine smile tugging at her lips.

“Child, she cannot sing to save her life, but somehow it’s still amazing anyways,” Jaida says. “She just seems to love life, you know? She’s always so happy. And she’s always wearing a million necklaces, or belting along to One Direction in the car, and she’s got this… this electric blue hair, and freckles.” _And tattoos._ “She’s really pretty, Heidi.”

Heidi’s face softens. “You’re really smitten, aren’t you?” She murmurs, taking Jaida’s hand and holding it gently. “She must be really special. You’ll have to introduce us someday - I wanna meet the girl who’s stolen my Jaida’s heart!”

“I will,” Jaida promises, smiling. “Nicky and Jackie want me to take her to a strip club. You can come along.”

Heidi shrieks with laughter. “Did Nicky suggest that? See, I told you she has good ideas!”

“Bitch, please, it’s a terrible idea.” Jaida huffs out a laugh. “Besides, I don’t even know if Crystal will want to keep hanging out with me after this week.”

Heidi’s face softens. “What gave you that idea? You said she took you out to lunch. Sounds to me like she wants to get to know you.”

“I don’t know. Maybe she’s this nice to everyone she works with.”

“Stop doubting yourself, Jai,” Heidi says, swatting her lightly on the arm. “You’re so classy and fun. She’d be an idiot to stop being friends with you.”

Jaida sighs, burying her face in her hands. “I just don’t know what to do.” How could she let herself get like this? She had promised herself she was going to keep this professional. That she was going to do her job and do it right.

And yet, here she is, an emotional mess over a girl she’s barely known for two days.

When she opens her eyes again, Heidi is staring at her with a strange sense of melancholy.

“Don’t worry about that for now,” Heidi soothes her. “Just talk to me. You’ve loved people that weren’t your soulmate before - how is this different?”

“Jan and Gigi were my friends,” Jaida sighs. “With Crystal - there are boundaries I shouldn’t cross. It’s work. You don’t talk about soulmates, or dating, or whatever at _work._ Especially not with your brand-new colleague.”

“Okay, yeah, that’s fair,” Heidi agrees. “But you can still become friends with Crystal, and talk about it with her after the show.”

“Yeah.” Jaida swallows thickly. “That’s… a good idea.”

“It’s what I’m here for,” Heidi says, flashing a shiny grin. “Heidi-gives-advice-y, at your service.”

Jaida laughs, reaching over to wrap Heidi in a hug. “Thanks.”

“You’re most welcome. And, uh, Jaida?” Heidi draws back from the hug, staring sheepishly into her lap. “Sorry for teasing you about this earlier.”

“It’s cool. You were right, anyways.”

It feels nice to have someone to admit that to. Jaida has spent the entire day ignoring butterflies and electric flushes, and acknowledging them feels like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders.

“I’m always right,” Heidi agrees, “is there anything else you wanna talk about?”

Jaida thinks for a moment before she shakes her head. “I think I’m gonna try and sleep.”

“Okay. Night, Jai,” Heidi says, wrapping Jaida in another hug before she gets to leave. “Good chat. Let me know how things go, ’kay?”

“Sure thing. Thanks, Heidi.”

“Goodnight!” Heidi smiles at her, warm and reassuring, before she shuts the door with a quiet _click_ and Jaida is left alone.

The music is still playing quietly from the nightstand - it’s _This is My Night_ now, and Jaida can’t help but think back to the car ride in the morning. It feels like so much has changed since then.

_But it hasn’t,_ Jaida realises, absentmindedly running her fingers through her curly hair. _The only thing that changed is that you realised what you were feeling._

She sighs, turning the music and her lamp off, plunging the room into an eerie, dark silence.

All she has to do now is get through the rest of the week.

She crawls into bed, hoping to sleep and clear her mind. Instead, she lies there for what feels like hours, tossing and turning, her eyes open in the darkness. All she can see is blue.

Crystal is blue like the soothing kiss of water, but she turns Jaida to red fire, scarlet lightning sizzling through her veins. Even now, with all of her blankets kicked to one side, Jaida still feels stifled, too big for her skin, too warm for slumber. The memory of every perfect smile sets her chest alight, crackling with hungry flames.

_Fuck._ She’s really got it bad.

She hates herself for feeling these things, hates Crystal for not getting out of her head. But as hard as she tries, Jaida can’t push the images of her away.

So she lets herself wonder, briefly, if Crystal has found her soulmate yet. The tattoos on her arms are beautiful, mysterious, and whoever picked them wasn’t Jaida.

The stupid, the _fearless_ part of Jaida imagines that none of those are Crystal’s soul tattoos. That instead, the one mark woven with magic is on her collarbone, just above her heart. Jaida tries to envision the beautiful Arabic words on Crystal’s skin, but the image makes her heart twist in such a way that she hastily shoves it aside.

It’s such a slim possibility, anyways. Jaida knows it’s stupid to let herself hope.

She rolls over, her soul tattoo burning against her skin, and finally slips into a restless, uneasy sleep. Even in her dreams, all she sees is blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rest in power, Chi Chi ❤️


End file.
